iOS 11 broadens Siri integration

More iPhone apps should be able to take advantage of voice controlled interactions via Siri following the rollout of Apple’s latest operating system, according to a Reuters report.

This is all thanks to a lifting on the restrictions which govern how and where Siri can be used by third party developers as part of the software packages they create. This should also lead to many more commands being made available, dramatically increasing the potential of this service and how vital it is to the iOS experience.

More information about how this will work in practice will be made public this week as Apple’s WWDC gets underway. And there is little doubt that one of the reasons that iOS 11 is bringing this change to the table is so that Apple is better equipped to compete with rivals to Siri, including Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana.

Traditionally, Apple has been reluctant to open up its core iOS functions to third parties, instead preferring to keep strict control over how all of its devices operate. This is in direct opposition to Google’s open source approach.

However, in the age of intelligent voice controls, the Californian firm can no longer afford to be so shut off from outside influences.